Cyber-Video of the Day
The 2nd Doctor encounters the Cybus Cybermen in The Tomb of the Cybermen – a “What If?” style video from The Mind Robber.
Cyber-Video of the Day
The Cybermen and the Cybus Cybermen form an alliance…
We Shall Cast Off The Weakness Of The Flesh
I’ve called this image “We Shall Cast Off The Weakness Of The Flesh”.
This is just something I was playing with. It is based on a 16th Century anatomical study by Juan Valverde de Amusco called “Anatomia del corpo humano” which shows a cadaver apparently having removed its own skin with a knife to reveal the muscle structure beneath. I’ve (obviously) somewhat heavily added to this, giving the figure a “10th Planet” style Cyberman head (the original design from their first ever appearance on TV) and then rather gone to town on adding cybernetic life support systems to the body, and generally mucking about with things, playing on the idea of Mondas (the Cybermen’s home planet) being a dying world set adrift from a regular orbit to wander on its path and the Mondasians choosing to abandon their humanity in search of cybernetic immortality – as the Cybermen say, “We Will Survive”. In the Cybermen’s case, the shedding of their skins is both symbolic and literal, as along with their failing organic body parts they also chose to discard their other “limitations” – emotions – in favour of pure logic, and thus in the process of making themselves free from the “weaknesses of the flesh” – love, desire, hatred, ambition, joy (and so on) they become something less than human; true “monsters” – because they are in essence humanity without any saving graces, with no purpose other than survival for the sake of survival. Life in essence is only worth living because of the very limitations of the flesh; to discard ones humanity is to become a true Cyberman.
“You Will Be Like Us” – let’s hope not…
Cyber-Video of the Day
The Third Doctor’s other appearance with the Cybermen – all fans of Jon Pertwee should really watch this one!
Junkyard Demon
Junkyard Demon is a comic strip perhaps most notable for its introduction of a Cyberman that appears in a transitory form between the Mk 1 version found in The Tenth Planet and the Mk 2 version seen in The Moonbase & Tomb of the Cybermen. In my own categorisation system, the Junkyard Demon Cyberman is a Mk 1.1
- Click to read : Junkyard Demon – The original Black & White Version (reprinted in Doctor Who Summer Special 1983)
- Click to read : Junkyard Demon – The colourised reprint (US Marvel Doctor Who)
Plot Summary
While the Doctor meditates, the free-floating TARDIS is scooped up by a junk-collecting spaceship Drifter, piloted by scrap merchants Flotsam and Jetsam and their windmill-powered robot Dutch, who tries unsuccessfully to break down the TARDIS for scrap. The Doctor is awakened by the noise of Dutch’s drill and emerges somewhat peeved at the disturbance, but is even more annoyed to find a dormant Cyberman amongst their collection of galactic scrap. Flotsam and Jetsam have a lucrative side business collecting inert Cybermen, reprogramming them and selling them as butlers. The Doctor accidentally re-activates the Cyberman, who then steals the TARDIS with Jetsam inside. As the Doctor, Flotsam and Dutch track the TARDIS in the Drifter, the Cyberman pilots the TARDIS to remote planet AS4, at the site of the wrecked command ship of a long-lost Cyberfleet. The Cyberman orders Jetsam to restore his long-inactive leader Zogron to function, with the ambition of rebuilding a Cyber-army that would rule Time and Space via the TARDIS. Jetsam does what he does best, reactivating Zogron who then infuriates the Cyberman by offering him a before-dinner sherry. The Drifter lands nearby, and Dutch destroys the Cyberman by coating it in quick-setting polymer paint. As Flotsam and Jetsam eagerly ponder the plunder available in the wrecked Cyberships, the Doctor leaves in the TARDIS, hoping they never find any Daleks… Click to read :
| Author: | Steve Parkhouse |
| Artist: | Mike McMahon / Adolfo Buylla |
| Published In: | Originally Published in Doctor Who Monthly 58-59Reprinted Doctor Who (US Marvel) #13
Reprinted in Doctor Who Summer Special 1983 |
| Publication: | November – December 1981 |
| Publisher: | Marvel Comics |
| Format: | Comic – 2 parts (reprinted in one part) |
Reject Cyberman of the Day
In this, the first in a new and on-going series, we take a look at some of the Cyber-designs that didn’t quite make it onto the screen…
Steampunk Cybermen
A wider selection of Steampunk Cyberman designs has been added to the gallery here
Cybermen Comic Strips – Masquerade
This two-page Cyber-story featuring the 2nd Doctor (and his young travelling companions / {adopted?} “grandchildren” originally appeared in the 1968 TV Comic Holiday Special.
Cyber-Video of the Day
A colourised clip of The Invasion
Cybermantra 